Objective: To study the effect of antisense oligonucleotide targeted human telomerase catalytic subunit (hTERT) on Hep-2 cell line.
Method: Cells were treated daily with oligonucleotide (ODN) directed against hTERT, or control ODN-a mismatched sequence or only Lipofectamine. At 24 h, 48 h, 72 h cell viability after administration of ODNs was determined using the MTT assay. At 72 h, the morpholog alteration of the cells was observed by HE stain. At 72 h, telomerase activity was determined.
Result: After daily transfection ASODN, some Hep-2 cells begin to stop growing up, but not in the mismatched ODN group or Lipofectamine group. Hep-2 cells treated with antisense against hTERT showed a decrease in telomerase activity.
Conclusion: hTERT antisense ODN can inhibit telomerase activity and the growth of Hep-2 cells in short term.